Square Enix has released a couple of details and screenshots for the upcoming Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, presumably the last and final Final Fantasy XIII game. The new screenshots focus on Lightning's journey into desert where she gets some new moves and faces off against new enemies.

The new shots come courtesy of Game Chup, where we see Lightning using her new sand-slide tactic to surf down the dunes, as well as face off against a larger-than-life boss in the sandy desert. The shots are kind of small and pretty static in terms of showcasing the action, but the change of environment from the high-tech city environments is a unique change in aesthetic.

To deal with some enemies a new bullet-time-esque feature has been implemented called Overclock mode that slows time down enough to allow players to adapt to and react to monsters on the fly.

Final Fantasy XIII has received its fair share of criticism, but based on the latest trailers for Lightning Returns the game does at least show some promise. Now if only we can get Square to reveal more on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which some people speculate might be a next-generation launch title, or at least some of us are hoping it will make it that far in development.
Lightning Returns, which will finally complete the XIII trilogy, to launch for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.